Refrigerating apparatus.



c. J. GQLEMAM REPRIGERATING MPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 22, 1901. RENEWED JULY 26, 1913.

Patented July 7, 1914J 2 SHEBTS-SHBET l.

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C. J. COLEMAN. RBFRIGBRATING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 2.2, 1901. BENBWBD JULY 26,.,1918. 151025998I Patented July 7, 1914.

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l t' 5 h 4 p l y I 4 n n I n l n a n v rlllllllllAu-*ll/ lio UNITED STATES PATENT omen.

CLYDE J'. COLEMAN, 0F NEW;v YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

VIRGINIA REFRIGERATOR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA...

RFRIGERATING APRARATUS.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it 'known that I, CLYDE J. COLEMAN, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the4 Improvements in Refrigeration Apparatus,- of which the following isla specification, refi had therein toy the accompanying drawing.

My inventionfconsistsfiiithe provision of automatic means connected with the oondenser for' removing uncondensable gases from at -refrigerating system, and in the provision of pressure actuated means for such purpose and in the provision of coacting pressure and temperature actua-ted means for such purpose, and in the provision of such means at'the exit end of the condenser.

My invention further consists in various improvements in the construction and combination of parts.

I will now describe the constructions of' refrigerating apparatus illustratedl in the accompanying drawings, and will thereafter point out my invention in 'claims The accompanying drawings, forming art hereof, illustrate constructions of re-' rigerating apparatus' embodying my invention. I will now particularly describe such constructions and will thereafter point out. my invention in claims. y

Figure lis a sectional 'elevation ofa com?.

plete refrigerating apparatus. l Fig. f2 is .an

`enlarged sectional elevation of the valve mechanism. F ig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the valve mechanism. Fig. 4 is` a sectional elevation of a condenser with a modified form of blow-olf valve.

The apparatus shown in the drawings is designed for the employment of a powermedium, which may be water, and of are.- frigerating medium, which may be ethyl chlorid, and the apparatus in the embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanyirlgdrawings and particularly claimed herein comprises means" for circulating each of these mediums in a closed circuit or cycle.

The main parts of the power medium circulating means comprise a; boiler or vaporizer 1, a compressor 2, and a condenser 3; The compressor may be said to be common to both circuits in that it has a movable separator or piston 4, which is caused to recip- `Specication of Letters Patent. i. Application lcd October 22, 1901, Serial No. 79,502. Renewed 311151,26, 1.913',

..1liatented July 7, 1914.

Serial No. 781,381`

recate by variations of relative pressure in a power medium chamber below the piston or lseparator and a refrigerant medium chamber -abo've '-the"p'isto`n or'separator.` The mainparts of theiretrigerating medium circulating means comprise, in addition to the compressorfa condenser 5, a final condenser ,55; and 'a cooling chamber 6.

The application' ofv heat to the vaporizer or boiler isshownfis-accomplished by a gas burner 7, Ythe lgas supply to which is regulated 'bya thermostatic regulator 8, having a bulb 9V exposed wit-hin the vaporizer Or boiler,- and the'thermostatic regulator acts" automatically'vto diminish the. supply of combustible 'gas `'to the ,lamewhen the temperature' in the vaporizer Aor boiler rises above a predetermined point. The boiler receives its supply of power medium from the condenser ftlirough a static 'column conduit l0, whichffeedsthe condensed uid and is of sufficient height to' overcome the difference of pressure '3 and the boiler :1, and' as there would be practically' nopressure inthe condenser fsure ofthe boiler. I provi-ded for `regulating*the v'iiiiiow of condensed power medium from the static colfalongside' of the boilerso as'inotfto be af- .lfected by thecbullition within the boiler, 'and connected to the boiler above and bestatic column conduit l0 iscarried downiward a substantial distance below this level jfto prevent any entrance of vapor into this v'between the condenserv 'Se 'the static ycolumn.would have to be of sutii-f Acient height to overcoineftheiworking pres- An ',aummatic valve is sa jumn to' the'boiler, comprising a float actu?. 'gated valv'ell, located.y injaf'chamber 12 49) low the fluid 'level so that its Huid level vwill correspond with that of the boiler, and the conduit from the vaporizer o-r float chamber.

The float 13 ofthe float valve 1l has a con-4 l siderable advantage of leverage over the'V f valve, the float being on a long arm and the valve stem connected to a shortI arm of the iioat lever 14.

The expanded power medium passes out of the boiler and upward through the conduit l5 which leads to the compressor 2.

The compressor 2 is provided with a movable sepaiator or piston 4, of relatively large diameter and shown as packed with heat insulating material, to prevent substantial interchange of heat between the two mediums, as the temperature of the power medium will be much higher than that of the refrigerating medium. The piston 4 fits loosely within its cylinder 16, and a seal is effected between the power medium chamber below the piston and the refrigerant medium chamber above the piston by means of a downwardly extending shell ror skirt 17, which projects from the piston and enters an elongated annular well formed in a lower extension of the cylinder and dips within a body of fluid, such as mercury,located therein, the annular well beinv only sufficiently large to permit the skirt of the piston to move freely therein and with a comparatively thin annular column of mercury on each side thereof. The difference in pressure between the power medium chamber and the refrigerant medium chamber of the compressor will not at any time be very great, and therefore the mercurio columns will have only a small movement, and I have provided an annular reservoir 18 located at the upper part of the inner wall of the annular well to retain a considerable body of mercury and prevent overflowing, and also to prevent material variat1on` of level as the result of the variation in displacement by the skirt ofthe piston.

An intake valve 19 and an exhaust valve Q0 are provided for the power medium, the intake valve 19 being located at the upper end of the conduit 15 from the boiler 1, and the exhaust valve 2O being located upper end of a conduit 21 lead'u from t'ne compressor to the power median? condenser i3. These valves are automatically actuated by the movement of the piston through an actuating rod QQ, located in an elongated pocket within the piston and having a knob or enlargement E23 at its upper end adapted to be actuated by contact with the piston at,

the upper and lower end of the pocket therein and extending downward and pivotally connected to an arm EZLL of 'the controlling weighted lever 25. The actuating rod is operated as the piston approaches the lower end of its stroke by Contact of the knob Q3 with the upper end of the pocket in the piston and moves downward a sulficient distance to swing the weighted Ilever Q5 so that its center of gravity will be moved beyond its pivotal center, and so that it will fall by gravity to its right hand extreme position. The actuating rod is operated by Contact of its knob 23 with the lower end of the pocket in the piston as the piston approaches the upper end of itsstroke and swings the weighted lever 25 to the left, and suihciently so that its weight will carry it to its extreme left hand position.

This actuation of the weighted lever 25 at each extremity of the movement of the piston operates the intake and exhaust valves through a sector 26 secured upon a shaft 2T and having contact pins Q8 and 29,

the shaft Q7 having secured thereon the two cams 30 and 31, the cam l0 being arranged to coact with the stem of the intake valve 19 to open the intake valve when the sector 2G is swung to the right, and the cam 31 coacting with the stem of the exhaust valve Q0 to onen the exhaust valve when the sector Q6 is swung to the left. The intake valve is provided with a light spring 32 which tends to hold it clbsed. and the pressure of the motive medium also, and more powerfully, tenus to hold it closed. The exhaust valve 3l is also provided with a light spring 33 which tends to hold it closed, and the pressure within the power chamber of the compressor also, and more powerfully, tends to hold it closed. rfhe camsv 30 and 31 are s0 constructed tha-t one valve is closed before the other valve is opened. In the position of parts shown in the drawings, the exhaust valve has been closed and the intake valve openled and the piston is about to move upwar.

The refrigerant medium in its cycle of movements is withdrawn from the cooling chamber by the compressor through the conduit 34 and enters the refrigerant medium chamber of the compressor through an intake check valve 35 and is forced out of the compressor chamber through an outlet check valve 36, both these check valves being represented diagrammatically in the drawings, and'is forced from the compressor into the refrigerating medium condenser 5, and from the condenser 5 it passes through the conduit 37, including the final condenser 55, counter-currently to the refrigerant medium flowing from the cooling chamber to the compressor, the conduit 34 from the cooling chamber being shown as including the outer part of the final condenser, enveloping the' part of the conduit 37 in such final condenser. The conduit 3T leads into the cool ing chamber, and the flow of refrigerating medium from this conduit to the cooling chamber is regulated by an automatic float valve 38 located in a reservoir 39, interposed in the conduit 37, and having a float el() arranged so as to have considerable advantage of leverage over the float valve 38 and operating to prevent the passage of any refrigerating medium into the cooling cham ber until it has condensed to a liquid condition, and a sufiicient quantity of condensed liquid has collected in the reservoir 39 to lift the float 40 and open the float valve 53S.

ln the operation of a closed cycle refrigen ating system a certain quantity of foreign gases is usually produced, through chemical decomposition and otherwise, and these foreign gases, being uncoinlensable, remain in the condenser and interfere with and inipede the condensing operation. diminishing the eiiiective surface of the condenser. llndei' cerain conditions a snllifient quantity of these uncondensable gases may collect and accumulate m the condenser to nearly or entirelyv ll it and thus etfectually prevent the performance of its condensing operation. I have provided automatic means for the removal of uncondensable gases from the system and these means areA shown as connected to the system in proximity to the exit end of the inal condenser, at which point the collection of these gases will `be initiated. y Y

In the refrigerating system shown 'the pressure within the condenser will be at all times, when the system is in operation, higher than that of the atmosphere, and I have therefore provided a blow-off valve 4l for the removal of these uncondensable gases.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 4, the -most simple form of this blowolf valve is illustrated, the blow-oit valve as here illustrated being controlled by aweighted lever 42 which is set to open the Valve when a pressure higher than the predeter-l mined working pressure of the system has been attained.

As the accumulation of uncondensable gases in the condenser will introduce a back pressure, any' material accumulation of these gases will sufficiently increase the internal pressure to cause the blow-off valve to be opened, and as this valve will be opened at the point of initial collection of these gases, and as the escape of these gases will restore the normal pressure, this simple device may be relied upon in many constructions embodyin my invention. I have, however, provided or a joint pressure and temperature regulated means for removing uncondensable gases, and -this construction is illustrated in the main views of the drawings, and is the particular construction herein claimed. v

The blow-off valve 41 is here shown as held normall closed by a spring 43, but this spring is su ciently strong to hold the blowoff valve closed notwithstanding an increase of internal pressure above the normal, although it may be relied upon in the event of failure of the temperature and pressure controlled means hereinafter described to relieve the system from a very considerable accumulationof uncondensable gases. The actuating means to open this blow-ofi' valve are shown as comprising an electro-magnet 44, the armature 45 of which is secured to the blow-off valve. The electro-magnet is energized from a battery 46 on normally open circuit, the. circuit being held normally open between the contact point 47 and the end of a bi-metallic thermostat 48; and the contact point 47 is located on a stem 49 secured at its upper end to a pressureactuated diaphragm 50 which is exposed to the pressure within and in proximity to the vide a resilient action should dense I the refrigerating exit end of the final condenser. A spring 51 is shown as coiled about the stem 49 and abutting against a bracket 52 and against the lower end of the stem 49, to assist the resilient action of the diaphragm or to prothe diaphragm. be non-resilient.

The function of the thermostat 48'is to move away from the contact point 47 with an increase of temperature in the condenser. The function of the diaphragm 50 is to move the contact point 47 into contact with the thermostat with an increase of pressure in the condenser. Therefore the coaction of these devices results in the making of such contact at a higher pressure when the temperature of the condenser is higher and at a lower pressure when the temperature of the condenser is lower. The working temperature of the condenser is usually a variable quantity by reason of the fact that the cooling water or heat abstracting medium is not usually regulated as to temperature, and is therefore subject to the variations of temperature at different seasons of the year, and from many other causes, or where cooling water is dispensed with and air is th'ecooling medium, the variations in =the tempera- Ature of the air will produce variations in the workingI temperature of the condenser. With a higher working temperature in the condenser, a higher pressure should be present therein in order to eectually c'on-.

medium. It will therefore be seen that wlth this construction-,i`

ythe blow-od device is self-adjusting to these 'variations of workin@ temperature-due to external causes and the controlling device maybe so constructed as to maintain a pres-l i sune within the condenser suited to its work'- ing. temperature, and so that the blow-o, device will not operate until this working pressure has been exceeded.

Itis evident that various modifications may be made in the constructions above de scribed and shown in the drawings withinl the spirit and scope of `my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Ietters lPatent is:

v1. A refrigerating system comprising af condenser, a cooling chamber, means for circulatingia refrigerant medium through the condenser and cooling chamber and in a closed cycle and for establishing difference of pressure between the condenser and cooling chamber, pressure actuated means exposed to the pressure of the-condenser and temperature actuated means exposed to the temperature of the condenser, and means for the removal of uncondensable gases from the system controlled by the coaction of such devices.

2. A refrigerating System, comprising a condenser having a chamber at the exit end thereof, a cooling chamber, a. conduit from cooling chamber, means for circulating a operable on refrigerant medium through the condenser and cooling chamber and for establishing difference of pressure between the condenser and cooling chamber, means connected with the exit chamber of the condenser for the removal of uncondensed gases automatically the attainment of a predetermined pressure and electrically operable supplemental actuating means therefor, and temperature operative means and pressure operativemeans adapted to-coact with each other to control the electrically operable means. *v t..

3., A. refrigerating-'system, comprising a condenser having azchamber at the exit end thereof, a cooling chamber, a conduit lfrom the exit chamber Iof the condenser to the cooling chamber, means for circulating a refrigerant medium through the condenser and cooling chamber and for establishing difference of ressure between the condenser and cooling clhamber, means connected with the exit chamber of the condenser for the removal of uncondensed gases automatically operable on`the attainment of a predetermined ressure and electrically operable supplemental actuating means therefor, and temperature operative means and pressure operative means adapted to coact with each other to control the electrically'- operable means. A

4. Arefrigerating system comprising a condenser, a cooling chamber, means for circulating a refrigerant medium through the condenser and cooling chamber and in a closed cycle and for establishing difference of pressure between the condenser and cooling chamber, pressure actuated means exposed to the pressure of the condenser and temperature actuated means exposed to the temperatureof the condenser near the exit end thereof, and means for the removal of uncondensable gases from the system controlled by the coaction of such devices.

5. Ina refrigerating apparatus, in combination, a condenser, a cooling chamber, means for circulating a refrigerant medium through the condenser and cooling chamber and establishing a difference of pressure between the condenser and cooling chamber, a pressure actuated device exposed to the pressure of theacondenser, a thermostat exposed to the' temperature of the condenser,

-chamber and establishin circuit closing means controlled by such devices for closing an electric circuit b the relative movements thereof, and electrically operated means for the removal of gases from the condenser controlled by such circuit.

6. In a refrigeratin apparatus, in com-- bination, a condenser aving a chamber at the exit end thereof, a cooling chamber, a. conduit from the exit chamber of the condenser to the cooling chamber, means for circulating a refrigerant medium through the condenser and coolin chamber and establishing a difference o pressure between the condenser and cooling chamber, a blowoff valve connected to the exit chamber of the condenser and electrically operable supplemental actuating means theref0r, and temperature and pressure operative means adapted to coact with each other to control lthe electricallyoperable means.

7 In alrefrigerating apparatus, in combination, a condenser, a cooling chamber, means for circulating a refrigerating medium through the condenser and cooling a difference of pressure between the con enser and cooling chamber, a pressure actuated device exposed to the pressure of the condenser, a thermostat exposed to the temperature of the condenser, circuit closing means controlled by `such devices for closing an electric circuit by the relative movements thereof, a blow-off ,valve connected to the condenser, and electrically controlled means controlled by such circuit and controlling such blow-olf valve.

8. A refrigerating system, comprisin a condenser, a cooling,chamber, a con uit from the condenser tothe cooling chamber, means for circulating a refrigerating medium through the condenser and for establishing difference of pressure between the condenser and cooling chamber, and auto- ;matic means connected with the exit chamber of the condenser for the removal of uncondensable gases from the chamber such means including temperature and pressure actuated means adapted to coact with each other.

In testimony whereof'I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLYDE J. COLEMAN.

Witnesses:

HENRY D. lViLLrAMs, HERBERT H. Gls. 

